1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hangers for supporting pipes between building members, such as wall studs, and in particular to a pipe hanger system having a pair of flexible brackets which extend between the building members and a pipe connection member which is selectively slidable along the brackets and then securable in position relative to the brackets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stub-outs for faucets, showerheads, and the like are typically supported between wall studs by a plumbing support bracket. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,451 to Hubbard discloses a simple bracket having pipe receiving openings spaced along its entire length. The bracket is attachable to the outer edges of adjacent studs by inserting fasteners such as nails or screws through fastener openings located intermediate the pipe receiving openings. The pipe for the stub-out is typically soldered to the bracket in order to fix it in position.
Plumbing support brackets of this type have several shortcomings. Firstly, the brackets can be difficult to position in such a manner that the pipe is in the exact location desired. No matter how many pipe openings are provided, the position of the pipe is not universally adjustable. If the bracket is fastened to the studs and no pipe opening is in the desired position, the bracket must be taken down and relocated. Even then, there is no guarantee that the pipe can be properly positioned. Also, soldering the pipes to the bracket is labor intensive and can result in failure of the pipe. In order to allow pipes to be soldered to the brackets, prior art support brackets have been coated with copper oxide after fabrication, a process which produces a very thin layer of copper which can easily burn off during soldering, thereby exposing the steel and creating the potential for galvanic action with the pipes, which can cause leaks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,882 discloses a valve fixture which includes a valve mounting plate slidably moveable along a pair of mounting straps extending between adjacent wall studs. The straps have relatively wide faces and relatively thin edges. The straps are nailed to the outer edges of the studs so that faces of the of the straps lie generally in the same plane. A valve, such as a shut-off valve for a faucet or commode is mounted on the valve mounting plate and connected to a water supply line. The valve mounting plate may be moved along the straps in order to position the valve into any desired location between the studs.
The fixture disclosed by the '882 patent provides universal adjustment of the location of the valve, but has a problem with lack of rigidity of the fixture. Because the straps are relatively thin and generally coplanar, they provide little resistance to flexion in a direction perpendicular to the wall, allowing for in and out movement of the valve and its associated supply pipe.
What is needed is a system for mounting a pipe which provides rigidity and universal adjustability of the pipe position, plus the ability to fix the pipe in position without soldering.